Can the quality of a fragrance be judged on the number of raw materials it contains? The question may be surprising, but some brands seem to make that choice. Particularly when the perfume has a premium or a niche positioning.

Should ingredients be talked about? If yes, which ones? At the point of sale or during an online purchase, some consumers expect it. As for the media, they need it in order to talk about the fragrance, both on a technical point of view (olfactory pyramid, etc.) or for storytelling.

Brands send press releases that explain the concept of a fragrance, its story, and its ingredients. These elements are adapted for the salespeople training programs.

Some designers like Serge Lutens remain very silent when it comes to ingredients. He believes that quoting them can become a recitation and render the story meaningless.

On the contrary Tom Ford is very talkative. His press releases mention the ingredients much like a novel, a journey, a luxurious treasure would be talked about.

But it is far from being the only brand that communicates on a lot of ingredients. Niche brands such as Penhaligon’s or Aedes de Venustas do not hesitate to really explain the different facets of their fragrances.

On the contrary, some brands give only a few ingredients. It is the case for example with Cartier or Hermès… to the point where it is sometimes difficult to have an olfactory pyramid.

It is frequent with figurative creations, in which the name of the fragrance already gives the main component (leather, rose…). But the opposite is also true. Fragrances named Oud something often claim a lot of ingredients. In this situation, it is about justifying a premium positioning and explaining why the fragrance costs 200 or 300 euros.

So, zero, three, or twenty-five: is there a right number of ingredients to mention?

The olfactory pyramid, which is a tool to describe fragrances, often communicates 9 ingredients: 3 for the top notes, 3 for the middle notes and 3 for the base notes. It’s sometimes less, and sometimes much more. Nine ingredients probably suit for online research or purchase, but not for a face-to face sale.

At the point of sale, the choice should be made in harmony with the clients. Talk about the essences if they wish, or tell them a story to make them dream.

The difficulty is to adapt the discourse to the level of knowledge the clients have.